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Colleges

Building on the innovative advising and support system created by Professor Doyle Graham, former Dean of Education at Duke School of Medicine in 1987, Duke-NUS has created the Duke-NUS College system. The Colleges focus on students’ professional and personal development. They provide support, advice, and mentoring, and facilitate relationship building among students of different years. They also foster recreational opportunities and community service projects. The concept is that if students experience the benefits of a supportive community with one another and with their Masters and faculty associates, they will experience medical school as less isolating and will be better able to cope with the stresses and challenges of medical education. In turn, they will have a greater chance of maintaining and developing their idealism, empathy, and compassion, thereby becoming more capable and effective physicians.

During the first year of the medical program, weekly meetings of the Colleges allow the students to know and be known by their Masters and by their fellow College members in the context of giving and receiving support. College Masters are also available for individual meetings and may assist if students encounter academic or other difficulties. The relationship thus established forms the basis for better career and personal counseling during the final three years. The College faculty include clinicians from a wide range of specialties, as well as physician scientists who assist the students in formulating research ideas and selecting mentors for their 3rd year research project. Further, with the addition of a new group of 14 or so students to each College every year, the College structure provides opportunities for interclass nurturing and community, as well as more time for the students to give and receive care and support from each other.

Our four Colleges

The four advisory colleges of Duke-NUS Medical School have taken on the names of legendary figures in medicine. They are Gordon Arthur Ransome College, Seah Cheng Siang College, Benjamin Sheares College and Eugene Stead College. The four luminaries were highly influential and fondly remembered by countless patients, students and fellow doctors whose lives they had touched. As physician, teacher, co-worker and friend, they were exemplary in their compassion and willingness to serve others, and remarkable for their great achievements.

Gordon Arthur Ransome College

Emeritus Prof Sir Gordon Arthur Ransome (1910-1978) was an important pioneer of modern medicine in Singapore. His contributions to medicine in Singapore went as far back as 1983 when he was made Associate Professor of Medicine at the then King Edward VII College of Medicine. He also founded the Singapore Academy of Medicine and was its first Master.

Meet the College Masters

Assoc Prof Lee Kheng Hock

Prof Thirumoorthy

Dr Sonali Ganguly

Seah Cheng Siang College

Prof Seah Cheng Siang (1922-1990) was a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Singapore. He headed medical units at Singapore General Hospital and Toa Payoh Hospital (the present Changi General Hospital), and founded the Gastroenterological Society. He was also dedicated to medical training in Singapore, and set up the MRACP courses for internal medicine.

Meet the College Masters

Dr Ng Yee Sien

Assoc Prof Ong Biauw Chi

Dr Madhukumar Preetha

Benjamin Sheares College

Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares (1907-1981) was Singapore's second President and "Father of Modern Obstetrics and Gynaecology" (O&G). He achieved several firsts for Singapore in this field - first Singaporean to specialise in O&G and first local to be appointed Professor of O&G at the University of Malaya in Singapore. He pioneered the Lower Segment Caesarean Section which is now gold standard and used extensively today. He also created the vaginoplasty surgical procedure, which was named after him, and became internationally recognised after he published a paper on it in 1960.

Meet the College Masters

Prof Kon Oi Lian

Prof Paul Michael Yen

Dr Yong Wei Sean

Eugene Stead College

Dr Eugene Anson Stead, Jr, (1908-2005) was Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Dean of the School of Medicine at Emory University. He went on to Duke University in 1947 where he served as Chairman of Medicine for 20 years. In that capacity, he played a major role in shaping the vision of Duke, building its Department of Medicine, and devising many innovative methods for medical teaching and practice.